The miracle of completion is beginning to occur at the east London Olympic Park, in which pristine finishes emerge from the seeming chaos. Work on the stadium, by Team McAlpine Consortium, is well advanced compared with the venues of previous games at a similar stage

The London stadium is less spectacular than Beijing's Bird's Nest Olympic venue; it has a simplicity rarely seen in modern arenas, which are usually engulfed in corporate facilities and conference suites

The 12,000-seat Basketball Arena, designed by Wilkinson Eyre, is a temporary structure, to be taken down after the Olympic and Paralympic Games. It is hoped to re-use up to two-thirds of its structure on other sites

The dramatic wave-like roof of Zaha Hadid's Aquatic Centre is now in place. The building marks one of the main entrances to the Olympic site, from
Stratford underground and Eurostar stations, and the new Stratford City shopping mall. Temporary extensions on either side will give it a
capacity of 17,500, to be reduced to 2,500 after the games

The energy centre, designed by John McAslan and Partners, was completed
last month. Its purpose is to supply 'environmentally considerate'
power to the Olympic site, both during and after the Games. It is also
designed as a landmark for surrounding areas

The velodrome architects say they wanted to emulate the lean efficiency and the 'tautness and energy' of cycle racing. Their design aims to to keep wasted materials to a minimum, while allowing ample daylight into the interior. The roof, formed by a net of cables
infilled with plywood, echoes the undulating form of the timber track